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Two Atlantic tropical systems in the normally quiet month of June is unprecedented, hurricane forecasters say.

On Monday afternoon, Tropical Storm Bret formed in the Atlantic and another system in the Gulf of Mexico seemed on the verge of tropical status, earning the designation Potential Tropical Cyclone Three.

Stacy Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, called the prospect of two tropical cyclones in June “unprecedented.”

Tropical Storm Bret was expected to move westward through the Caribbean Sea before being torn apart by winds, Stewart said.

For weather nerds, Bret is historic because before it was given that name, it was “Potential Tropical Cyclone Two.” Until Sunday, no tropical system had ever been officially referred to as a potential system with its own advisories.

TS Bret, June 20, 5 a.m.(Photo: NOAA)

Prior to this year, the hurricane center would issue advisories when a storm formed.

In an effort to emphasize to people that a storm is brewing and could be headed their way, the hurricane center began releasing the potential alerts with the hope that residents in a likely storm zone would start preparations earlier.

Asked if this unusually active June is a harbinger of a busy hurricane season to come, Stewart said it was hard to say, because there wasn’t much in the way of similar Junes to compare.

But, he added, it did seem to confirm, at least for now, NOAA’s prediction that 2017 would see a busier than average Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical storm warning issued for Louisiana’s Gulf Coast

MIAMI - A tropical storm warning has been issued for a section of Louisiana’s coast as a weather system approaches from the Gulf of Mexico.

The warning is in effect from Cameron, Louisiana, to Intracoastal City.

The system’s maximum sustained winds early Tuesday are near 40 mph (64 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center says some slight strengthening is possible before the system reaches the coast, either late Wednesday or Wednesday night.

As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the system is centered about 305 miles (490 kilometers) south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and is moving northwest near 8 mph (13 kph).

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bret is moving along South America’s northern coast. Its maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (64 kph) with weakening expected to begin later in the day.